The Most Holy Trinity (Year C)
Proverbs 8:22-31 | Psalm 8:4-9 | Romans 5:1-5 | John 16:12-15
But [looking forward to God’s glory] is not all we can boast about; we can boast about our sufferings. These sufferings bring patience, as we know, and patience brings perseverance, and perseverance brings hope, and this hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. (Romans 5:3-5)
For some reason, I picture in my head a “martyred” middle-aged lady, moaning aloud at her bad back and miscellaneous aches and pains that are part of the ageing process, and delighting in others’ portrayal of her as a “suffering saint”.
Except, of course, that isn’t the kind of suffering that St. Paul refers to. Instead, he’s recalling Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, specifically:
Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)
I’ve written previously about how my best friend also happens to be my “personal faith assailant”. If you’ve ever been asked seemingly-innocent questions about Catholicism that you couldn’t answer, you know what I deal with on a regular basis.
But his “assaults” remind me just how much I still have to learn, and though I may not be able to jump into full-time seminarial studies, I can at least dedicate myself to reflecting for an hour or so each day as I write this blog (patience).
And taking “baby steps” gives me the will to keep going (perseverance).
Which in turn gradually brings me closer to a proper understanding of God’s unconditional and unlimited love, and so entertain such sure hope, in the fullness of time, of dwelling with God in his eternal kingdom. This, I think, is worth boasting about…which is why you’re reading about it here. ?
As for my own age-related aches and pains, I’ll bear them quietly, thank you very much. ?
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.